Roof support assembly for chimneys

ABSTRACT

A support assembly for securing a prefabricated metal chimney or the like to a sloped roof and comprising a pair of bracket members adapted to be fixed to rafters on opposite sides of the chimney, each being adjustably connected to a plate member which is fixed to the chimney so that the chimney can be held vertically despite the degree of roof slope.

United States Patent Richard L. Stone inventor Los Altos Hills, Calif. Appl. No. 830,649 Filed June 5, 1969 Patented Aug. 31, 1971 Assignee Wallace-Murray Corporation New York, N.Y.

ROOF SUPPORT ASSEMBLY FOR CHIMNEYS 5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

us. Cl 248/57, 52/219, 248/237, 285/44 Int. Cl. F161 5/00.

Field of Search 248/57,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,703,670 2/1929 Hoeft 285/44 2,648,511 8/1953 Epstein.. 248157 3 ,004,740 10/ 1 961 Lane .1 248/57 3,216,161 11/1965 Forsman 52/219X Primary ExdminerChancellor E. Harris Auorney0wen, Wickersham & Erickson ABSTRACT: A support assembly for securing a prefabricated metal chimney or the like to a sloped roof and comprising a pair of bracket members adapted to be fixed to rafiexs on opposite sides of the chimney, each being adjustably connected to a plate member which is fixed to the chimney so that the chimney con be held vertically despite the degree of mof slope.

o RICHARD L. STONE FIG 3 BY INVENTOR.

' ATTORNEY'S ROOF SUPPORT ASSEMBLY FOR CHIMNEYS This invention relates to an improved roof support for prefabricated metal chimneys and the like.

In the installation of prefabricated metal chimneys comprised of interconnected sections, the support of the chimney at the point where it .passes through the roof heretofore presented a problem which increased the time and the cost of the chimney installation. Generally, the problem was that of providing a means that could be anchored to the adjacent roof structure and yet be fixed to the chimney at just the proper location to hold it vertical despite the angle of the roof. Since the angles of roofs on dwellings vary considerably over a wide range it was further necessary to provide a chimney support that was easily adjustable to the desired angle on the job siteand which, in addition, could be adjusted axially on the chimney section before being secured thereto.

In general, an object of the present invention is to solve the aforesaid problems, and more specifically to provide a roof support that can be used on a wide variety of prefabricated chimney sections, that can be installed easily in a minimum of time by one relatively unskilled laborer, and which is particularly well adapted for ease and economy of manufacture.

The aforesaid and other objects are accomplished by a pair of roof brackets each of which is pivotally connected to another bracket which is adapted to be adjusted axially on and fixed to the chimney. A flexible strap is used for temporarily holding the chimney bracket on the chimney section until the roof brackets are flush on the adjacent rafters while the chimney is simultaneously vertically oriented.

Other objects, advantages and features of my invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one embodiment presented in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation showing a roof support assembly for a prefabricated metal chimney embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view in section taken along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged view in elevation of the right angle bracket member of my chimney support assembly;

FIG. 4 is a view in elevation showing a chimney section utilizing a temporary strap for installing the support assembly according to my invention;

FIG. 5 is a view in elevation of a plate member in my support assembly; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view in elevation and in section showing one half of my support assembly fixed to a chimney section.

With reference to the drawing, FIG. 1 shows a roof support assembly 10 according to my invention which is adapted for supporting a prefabricated metal chimney of the type comprised of a series of interconnected sections 12. Such metal chimneys which are well known in the art, are generally cylindrical in shape and have male and female end connectors to facilitate the installation of the chimney to a desired height. As shown in FIG. 2, the support assembly is attached to and supports the chimney where it extends upwardly between a pair of spaced-apart rafters 14 of a conventional pitched roof. In general, the assembly is comprised of two pairs of cooperating members each consisting of a right angle bracket member 16 adapted to be secured to a rafter 14 and a plate member 18 which is attached directly to the chimney section. The right angle bracket member 16, a relatively wide horizontal base portion 20 and an integral vertical portion 22 extending upwardly along one side of the base portion. The base portion which may be rectangular in shape is provided with a number of spaced apart holes 24 to receive nails or screws 26 for securing it to a rafter. The vertical portion 22 of the bracket member 16, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, is preferably semicircular in shape and is provided with a semicircular slot 28 that is spaced inwardly from its outer edge. At the geometric center for the slot 28 on the vertical portion 22 is a hole 30 for receiving a bolt 32 about which the bracket mem er 16 can pivot. This bolt is supported on the mating plate member 18 of the assembly that is fixed to the chimney section adjacent the rafters 14.

The plate member 18 is preferably made of sheet metal having a thickness which is sufficient to provide the necessary strength and rigidity to the assembly. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, each plate member has a flat central portion 34 and integral side portions 36 extending from the central portion at a small angle. The latter angle can vary depending on the size or diameter of the chimney section which is being supported by the assembly. To make this bending of the side portions relatively easy, I provide a pair of slots 38 along both of the bend lines between the central portion and the side portions. Centrally located on the central portion and midway between the slots 38 on each plate member are a pair of outwardly extending boss portions 40 and 42. These boss portions are vertically spaced apart and form recesses on the back side of the plate member in each of which is a square opening 44. Spaced apart around the boss portions and the slots on both the central and side portions of the plate member are holes 46 for sheet metal type bolts. The heads 52 of the latter bolts are retained within the recesses provided by the boss portions 40 and 42 of each plate member and their square neck portions fit in the square openings 44. The upper carriage bolt 50 extends through the semicircular slot 28 of the bracket member 16, and the lower bolt 32 extends through the hole 30 therein, as previously described. The width of the slot 28 and the diameter of the opening 30 are sufficiently greater than the bolts so that the bracket member 16 can be readily moved to any desired position relative to its attached plate member 18. When this desired relative position is reached, a nut 52 can be tightened against a washer 54 on the bracket member to hold it in position.

When installing a prefabricated metal chimney in a house with a pitched roof it is difficult to predict precisely where the chimney section extending between the rafters will be oriented with respect to them. Hence, initially the support assembly 10 must be attached to the chimney in a manner that will permit a certain amount of axial adjustment of the side plate members 18 before they are permanently fixed to the chimney. As shown in FIG. 4, this is accomplished by a metal strap 56 which extends around the chimney after being passed through a pair of slots 38 of each sideplate member. The strap is provided with a suitable tightening means (not shown) which enables it to be loosened and retightened easily to facilitate up or down movement of the sideplates Once the chimney is in the desired vertical position, the sideplates are then moved so that the bracket members 16 can be tilted to the same angle of the rafters and lie flush on their surfaces. Suitable fasteners such as the nails 26 or screws are then driven through the holes 24 into the rafters. The nuts 52 connecting the upright portion of each bracket 16 to its sideplate 18 are tightened, and thereafter the screws 48 are driven through the holes 46 and through the chimney wall to connect the support brackets thereto. Once the various fasteners are tightened, the strap 56 can be removed and is no longer needed.

The foregoing describes a chimney support assembly 10 that is versatile, easy to install and also strong and durable. Moreover, it is located entirely above the rafters and thus is not visible from the floor below, a factor that can be important in some open-beam roof constructions.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

I claim:

L A support for securing a prefabricated metal chimney to a sloped roof comprising:

at least one mounting plate; means for fixing each said mounting plate directly to the side of a prefabricated metal chimney or conduit section that extends through an opening in the roof; an angle bracket connected to each of said mounting plates, each said bracket including a generally horizontal base portion and an integral upright portion along one side thereof; and means for pivotally connecting said upright portion of each said angle bracket to a said mounting plate so that its said base portions can be tilted to the same slope as the roof structure adjacent the chimney being supported and secured to the roof structure while holding the chimney in the vertical position. 2. The support assembly as described in claim 1 which includes mounting plates attached to opposite sides of the chimney or conduit device being supported, and an angle bracket connected to each said mounting plate.

3. The support assembly as described in claim 1 wherein each said upright portion on said angle bracket is substantially at a right angle thereto and has a central portion with semicircular slot spaced from a hole at the geometric center of said slot, said latter means for connecting including separate bolt means extending through said slot and said hole.

4. The support assembly as described in claim 3 including a pair of boss members on said mounting plate, spaced apart vertically the same distance as the distance between said semicircular slot and hole on said angle bracket, each said boss member having a hole and forming a recess to receive the head of a bolt means.

5. The support assembly as described in claim 3 including spaced apart vertical slots on said mounting plates and defining side portions that can bend from said central portion and thereby conform roughly to the curved surface of a cylindrical chimney section. 

1. A support for securing a prefabricated metal chimney to a sloped roof comprising: at least one mounting plate; means for fixing each said mounting plate directly to the side of a prefabricated metal chimney or conduit section that extends through an opening in the roof; an angle bracket connected to each of said mounting plates, each said bracket including a generally horizontal base portion and an integral upright portion along one side thereof; and means for pivotally connecting said upright portion of each said angle bracket to a said mounting plate so that its said base portions can be tilted to the same slope as the roof structure adjacent the chimney being supported and secured to the roof structure while holding the chimney in the vertical position.
 2. The support assembly as described in claim 1 which includes mounting plates attached to opposite sides of the chimney or conduit device being supported, and an angle bracket connected to each said mounting plate.
 3. The support assembly as described in claim 1 wherein each said upright portion on said angle bracket is substantially at a right angle thereto and has a central portion with semicircular slot spaced from a hole at the geometric center of said slot, said latter means for connecting including separate bolt means extending through said slot and said hole.
 4. The support assembly as described in claim 3 including a pair of boss members on said mounting plate, spaced apart vertically the same distance as the distance between said semicircular slot and hole on said angle bracket, each said boss member having a hole and forming a recess to receive the head of a bolt means.
 5. The support assembly as described in claim 3 including spaced apart vertical slots on said mounting plates and defining side portions that can bend from said central portion and thereby conform roughly to the curved surface of a cylindrical chimney section. 